Ink (046)

Ink is my favorite invention. There are so many different types of it now. You find ink in books, on signs, labels, stickers, etc. Ink attaches to plastic, paper, aluminum, fabrics, and—the coolest option—skin. I’ve always been fascinated by tattoos. I only have one, on my right shoulder blade. Would you be surprised if I told you it’s a pig? 

My best friend in eighth grade drew this pig on a note that she passed me in the hallway, and I loved it so much that I asked her how to draw it. I couldn’t stop drawing it on everything. One particular edition in crayon kept catching my eye, so I hung it up amongst the mess of other stuff taped to the bare white canvas of my high school bedroom. It hit me that I wanted to get a tattoo, having been obsessed with them for a few years. 

When I turned 19, I worked with a guy whose brother was a tattoo artist, so I went to him for the permanent artwork. He ended up not following my instructions and he made the feet and nostrils black instead of the pink that I wanted. By now they would have been completely gone, so I’m happy that he didn’t listen to me, but I’m also irritated that he didn’t because it’s my body. I think he was annoyed because he was British and I asked who was singing the song on the radio. Lucy in the sky with diamonds. Had I really never been exposed to this Beatles song before? He was flabbergasted that I didn’t know, but I told him I enjoyed the melody. 

Now I have some pretty cool stories about that tattoo, and I understand why people like to get so many of them. One day I will have more. For now, I ordered this really cool product from a company called Ink Box that is a temporary tattoo ink that kind of works like henna. It’s more vivid and you only have to leave the dry ink on your skin for about an hour before you wash it off. It lasts for about two weeks. So I just did my first one because I was excited, even though I’m incredibly exhausted and should just go to bed. As homage to one of my favorite YouTubers and fellow Scorpio, Nikki Limo, I put “fuck perfect” on my left inner forearm. The Es in perfect do not look very good, but I think that just adds to the message.